Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer after surgery to remove part of lung

The 71-year-old is recovering in Rome’s Gemelli hospital after surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his lung.Published On 13 Oct 202613 Oct 2026Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with cancer after an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, according to a medical bulletin published by the Vatican.Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican added, noting the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests. It did not provide details on the recovery outlook or course of treatment.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Pope Leo says AI risk concerns not ‘fake news’list 2 of 3Pope says death penalty ‘inadmissible’ as US plans to livestream executionlist 3 of 3Pope Leo continues working after lung surgery announcementend of listIn a statement released Tuesday, the Vatican said the procedure lasted 90 minutes and that the surgery “was successful, and there were no complications”.The 71-year-old has returned to his room at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he is expected to recover for a week, with all his audiences through October 20 cancelled.The Vatican said doctors are not currently discussing chemotherapy or other therapies pending the results ...